The three coauthors “no longer wish to be associated with this paper and ask for their names to be removed,” according to a March 31 correction notice. Twenty-three coauthors remain on the publication.

Macchiarini has been accused of breaching ethical standards relating to his work on artificial tracheas. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences flagged the 2011 study as concerning.

Update (April 1): The Lancet editors have now issued an expression of concern regarding the 2011 paper, Retraction Watchreported. "In view of the ongoing uncertainty about the integrity of the work reported in this paper, and after discussion with the lead author of the research artricle, Dr Paolo Macchiarini, we now issue an expression of concern about the paper, while reserving a final decision for when current investigations are completed," the editors wrote in the notice.